Photograph studio apparatus



m 1 w; RCSENHAFT I 83 rao'foennn s'rumd Arrmnus Filed me. 25, 1937", 2Sheets-Sheet 2 llllll 2 man 6 :I-

Patented Jan. 7.1941v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ApplicationDecember-23, 1937, Serial No. 181,436 In Italy February 19, 1937 3Claims.

advantage.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide an apparatus which iseasily moved about the particular subject and which is also providedwith suitable mechanism whereby the subject may be photographed from anydesired angle.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an apparatus equippedwith a pistol grip and means associated therewith whereby the operatormay control the lighting and the shutter with the same hand by which theapparatus is moved. This permits the operator to give all his attentionto the subject and the a mechanical movements of the sensitive layer istaken care of automatically.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a tripod mount forthe camera which is adjustable in height and also to provide a cardanicsuspension for the camera.

A further object is to provide an electric motor for controlling themovements of the-sensitive layer. In an apparatus provided with acardanic suspension which is movable under a very light pressure, amanual operation of the sensitive plate or a mechanical transmissionmanually operated would be very inconvenient. Therefore all movements ofthe apparatus with the exception of the aiming of the camera are securedby electrical means.

' It is a still further object of the invention to provide meanselectrically operated whereby after an exposure has been taken thesensitive plate is advanced immediately to the nearest position.

' It is a still further object of the invention to provide the apparatuswith sighting means such as a ground glass plate which is provided witha cooperating mirror in order to reflect the image in upright position.Preferably the a sighting means produces an image considerably largerthan the image-produced by the camera lens. The sighting means ispreferably placed at the side of the camera opposite to where theelectric motor is positioned in order to properly balance the mechanism.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent fromthe'detailed description below the invention is shown in the drawings inwhich:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the apparatus with portionsbroken away for greater cleam'ess;

Figure 2 is a side view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the rear of the camera with partsbroken away;

Figure 4 is an elevational view illustrating the frame for holding thesensitive plate and the means whereby the plate frame is movedvertically; Figure 5 is a rear elevational view of the camera on alarger scale illustrating the mount.- ing of the motor and the sightingmeans and with the plate frame removed;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along the section line C+D of Figure5'; and

Figure 7 is a plan view of a device for interconnecting the lens of the'sighting means with the lens of the camera in order to securesynchronous focusing thereof.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the tripod mounting comprises the verticalcolumn i and the tripod 2. The tripod is preferably provided with wheelsin order to move the apparatus easily. A shaft 3 telescopes in thecolumn I and is provided with rack teeth (not shown) which mesh with agear wheel (not shown) operated by the hand wheel 4. The shaft 3 may belocked at any desired 'height by means of the hand wheel 5.

A semicircular arm 6 is mounted at the top of the shaft 3 and isprovided with sockets I for receiving the trunnions of the ring 8 sothat the ring may rotate about the horizontal axis AA. This permits thecamera Ill to be directed upwardly or downwardly. The ring 8 is providedwith two pairs of sliding guides 9 which are joined by the two bars 9'.Stirrups.

II are pivotally connected at I2 to the bars 9 so that the camera may berotated about the axis 3-3. The above described mounting of the camerapermits complete freedom of movement in every direction so that thesubject may be photographed from any desired angle and the angle changedafter each exposure with the greatest facility.

Referring to Figure 1 a motor I3 is positioned at one side of the cameratogether with a reduction gearing it (see Figure 5) which through theintermediate shaft ill and a spur gear ll rotates the spur gear 42freely mounted on the shaft 50. One portion 43 of a coupling 43, 44 isfixed to the gear 42.

On the other side of the apparatus from the motor there is provided thesighting means I! provided with the lens l6. As may be seen from Figure2 the sighting means I5 is provided with a ground glass plate IS" onwhich the lens I8 projects the image. In order to reverse the image onthe plate I5" a mirror I5 is provided which is hingedly mounted so thatits position may be adjusted by means of an operating button andarc-shaped slot.

The shutter l1 which is of the usual type is' provided with a protectingcover 18 and a screen if! is provided for the camera lens.

The lens l6 of the sighting means may be operated synchronously with thecamera lens by means of the transmission gear shown in Figure '7. Thecamera lens is mounted in an externally threaded tube 10 so that it maybe threaded in and out of the lens support box II. On the threaded tube10 there is fixed a spur gear 13 which is rotated for focusing purposesby means of a driver 14 along whose teeth the gear 13 may slide togetherwith the lens. This is not only in order to focus the lens but also forlifting the lens support 31 from the sensitive layer when the sensitivelayer is to be moved to a new position. This movement of the sensitivelayer is accomplished by a lever 15 which is operated by the cam 51'fixed on the shaft 56 (Figure 5). The driver 14 is rotated by a gear 16having lateral teeth mounted on the transmission shaft 11. At the otherend of the shaft 11 there is connected a similar arrangement (not shown)for operating the lens of the sighting means IS. A regulation button maybe provided.

There is shown in Figure 2 three arms 20 secured to the camera boxprojecting rearwardlyand their outer ends are secured to a plate 2| onwhich is mounted the pistol grip 22 which is provided with a buttonswitch for starting the motor i3 when the lighting has been turned on.The grip 22 is also provided with additional buttons 25, 25' and 25" bywhich diflerent lighting eflects may be obtained from lamps which havebeen placed near the subject. The grip 22 is provided with a trigger 22which closes an electrical circuit (not shown) for energizing the magnet41 (Figure 5). The energizing of the magnet 41 will pivot the lever 48and thereby couple the part 44 of the coupling 43, 44 to the other putof the coupling 43. At the same time a ratchet tooth 45 provided on thecoupling element 44 is withdrawn from a corresponding hole provided inthe supporting block 46. The motor I! therefore may now rotate the shaftll which is supported in the bearing blocks 46 and 46'. A disc 5i fixedto the shaft 50 is provided with a pin 51 which cooperates with theMaltese gear 52.

At the beginning of the rotation of the shaft 50 a disc fixed thereonhaving a pin 42 strikes the lever 49 and produces the exposure. Shortlythereafter the disc 51 engages with its pin II in the Maltest gear 52which is supported by a shaft mounted in the block 58. A spur gear 54 ismounted on this shaft and meshes with a spur ear 55 fixed to the shaft58. The rotation of the Maltest gear 52 therefore causes an intermittentdriving of the shaft 54. Mounted on the shaft 56 is a cam cylinder 51provided with the cam grooves 58 which control the large sized ratchet34 (see Figure 4) which in turn moves the plate frames supporting guideIt on which it is fixed. The grooves 58 are spaced from one another thewidth of an exposure into which the sensitive layer is subdivided.

The plate frame is guided on the supporting guide II so as to bevertically movable. This vertical movement is controlled by the ratchetsteps 3| on the member 34 and the steps at one side are staggered withrelation to the steps on the other side. Spring pressed detents 36cooperate with the steps I l so that when the member 34 has moved thesupporting guide of the plate frame to an extreme end position thecorresponding detent 38 strikes the side wall of the camera and releasesthe plate frame so that it may fall down one-half a step or until theopposite detent 36 engages the next staggered step. The grooves 58 arecontinuous so that the ratchet I4 and with it the supporting guide 3!are moved in continuous reciprocating motion. The number of the steps IIon the right and left-hand sides of the supporting guide correspond tothe number of the picture rows provided in the subdivisions of thesensitive layer.

For example as shown in Figure 3 a 9 x 12 cm. plate is subdivided forinstance into 24 exposures. In order to easily determine the nextexposure to be exposed the plate frame is provided with a cover 29having the numbers from 1 to 24 thereon, while the folding cover 2' hasin its movable portion a ma nifying lens 24 .which is directed upon thenumber corresponding to the portion of the layer which is to be exposed.

During the horizontal and vertical movements of the sensitive layer thelens support I! which extends through an opening on the transverse barcontacts the sensitive layer during the exposure and must therefore belifted from the sensitive layer during movements thereof in order toavoid scratching the same. This lifting ofthe support 31 is secured bymeans of a cam II'ilxed on the shaft 56 of the cylinder 51. The cam actson an arm 29' which operates the mechanism for lifting the lens. Thismechanism comprises the lever '39" and a return spring 34. Thesupporting guide II is Guided in its reciprocating movements by thebearing blocks 23 sliding on the transverse shaft 22.

If it is desired to operate the cam cylinder l'l manually this may bedone by means of a lever 59 which disconnects the gears 84 and I. Anoperating button OI is provided for operating the lever 59 and a spring6| after a manual operation returns the gear I into mesh with the gear54 again.

Upon closing the circuit for the electromagnet 41 the various movementsdescribed above will take place completely because the coupling element44 is prevented from returning to its original position until the pin 44again enters the corresponding opening formed in the bearing 40.

The various electrical connections to the motor magnet lamps, etc. havenot been shown since they are of the usual type.

What I claim is:

1. In a camera for shooting series of images on single compartments ofanon-curling sensitive layer horizontally and vertically moved in theintervals between the single shots, driving means for the step by stepmovement of the sensitive layer, a motor, electromagnetic means couplingthe driving means with the motor for the advancement of the layer onlyfor one step from n one to the other compartment and uncouplin it assoon as the new position of the layer is reached, a frame support havinga ratchet, a rotating cylinder having an endless slot guiding saidratchet for obtaining the horizontal advancement, staggered steps on theside walls of .the frame support and spring means cooperating with saidsteps for obtaining the vertical advancement.

2. In a camera for shooting series of images on single compartments of anon-curling sensitive layer horizontally and vertically moved in theintervals between the single shots, driving means for the step by stepmovement of the sensitive layer, a motor, electromagnetic means couplingthe driving means with the motor for the advancement of the layer onlyfor one step from one to the other compartment and uncoupling it as soonas the new position of the layer is reached, a frame support, a shaft, acylinder on said shaft having a groove therein and a pin on said framesupport guided in said groove in' said :cylinder.

3. In a camera for shooting series of images on single compartments of anon-curling sensitive layer horizontally and vertically moved in theintervals between the single shots, driving means for the step by stepmovement of the sensitive layer, a motor, electromagneticv meanscoupling the driving means with the motor for the advancement of thelayer only for one step from one to the other compartment and uncouplingit as soon as the new position of the layer is reached, a frame support,a rotating cylinder having an endless groove therein and meanscooperating with said groove for guiding said frame support.

WALTER ROSENHAFI.

